Switching mechanism.



, FLB. LITTLE. SWITCHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, I916- 1,21 6,238. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Q; lllllllll 6 rminnmcx B. Lrrrmi, or crucaeo, rumors, assmnon, BY msmi assle 1:: 'ro -'J'. o. 'DEAGAN KUSICAL BELLS, or GHICAGQJLLINOIS, a donzeona'rroii or. ILLINOIS. v swr'rcrrme MECHANISM.

ipeciflnltionof Letters rm tq mu es Med'leuruary as, 1916.. seriaiimaoaav.

To allwjhomit mag 06mm: invention and its application to tha kay- Patented Feb. 13, 19117.

' Be it knownthatI, FREDERICk B: board instrument, a responsive device in icit zen of the United States, residin at vidual to this switching mechanism being" Chicago, in the county o Cook and tate diagrammatically indicated'in circuit rela- My invention relates to switching appapreferred construction; Fig. I is a ,per-. ratus and finds a very important use when spective view of the complete switch; and employed for controllingthe operation of Fig. 5 is a perspective viewo a portion of nish accompaniment for the music produced tion therewith; Fig. 2 is a a certain new-and tially n section,

of Illinois, have invented Switching Mechauseful Improvement in illustrating a .plurality of nism, of which the following is a full, clear, switches in assembly and each individual to concise, and exact description, reference bea key underlying the same; Fig. 3 is a pering had to the accompanying drawings, spective view illustrating the preferred forming a part of this specification. form of stationary contact entering into the the formation bywhich electro-magnetically actuated sound prodefinitely locatedwith ducing or other responsive devices that are to be operated when the keys of a keyboard V musical instrument are manipulated to fursimilar charby the keyboard instrument. The invention,

however, is not to be limited to any particular use to which it is put. illustration, bev considered to represent re- One feature of the invention resides in a spectively the black and white keys of a iano. No other part of a piano action is illustrated, there being a diagrammatic representation of a spring at 3'to indicate an agency for restoring each key when the pressure thereupon is release being performed by this action 'as' is well understood by e art. The

switch having stationary and movable contacts, a rotatably mounted stem for the moving contact which is of arc-shape to cause rapid actuation of the moving contact when the switch is located close to the pivotal mounting of the musical instrument key that. is to operate it. A spring is employed to cause the curved key engaging portion of the stem to follow the key when depressed to close the circuit, the action controlled by the key serving, in restoring the key, also to restore the moving contact against t e force of the aforesaid spring.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of aconduit, preferably trough shaped, and U-shaped frames upon keyboard, the pedestals which the stems of the mov' ble contacts are those skilled in th keys are pivotally mounted near the rear of the exposed portions thereof as indicated at 4, the riser or vertical panel 5 of the cabinet bein disposed key pivots. The conduit 6 is desirably of trough formation and is supported at .its ends upon pedestal blocks? that may rest on the piano cabinet at the ends of he and the conduit they ivotally mounted and upon which frames desired to dissociate the switching mechathe springs are mounted which cause the nism fromthe piano. The conduit is prostems to follow the keys to which they are vided with formations, desirably in the form individual. These frames; are provided with of recesses 8', that are spaced apart longitumeans for removably securingthem in asdinally of the/conduit distances correspondsembly with the conduit while the conduit ing to the arrangement of the keys, these recesses receiving the bases of the inverted U- is provided with 9 to prevent movement o locate the frames thereon wh switches may be properly spaced with rethese frames lengthwise of conduit spect to the keys with which they are to co- U whereby these frames are positioned o ver operate. the keys when the pedestals 7 are in position.

Each frame 9 ain my invention more fully by g ear 10 upon which is pivoted thestem reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof 11 carrying the contact blade 12' at its upand in which Figure 1 is a cross sectional .per end and being of arc-shape at its lower view showing switching mechanism of my end where it engages the key that underlies I will exp plan view, par:

1, this function the different slightly in advance of the such frame. This frame also carries a leaf spring 12 that serves to press the stem 11 upon the underlying key and to maintaln substantially constant engagement between th sstem and the key whereby when such 3 be properly operated since the arcshaped stem will sufliciently increase the movement of the contact blade in proportion to the movement of the part of the key engaging the stem of the blade to cause the proper operation of the switch while at the same time allowing sufficient portions of the keys to project beyond the-switchingmechanism to be suitably manipulated by one who wishes to play the piano manually. avoid noise each stem 11 has a bottom face of .felt 15 where it engages the underlying key. A

The responsive devices illustrated include mechanism which form the subject matter 80,328, filed F o my co-pending application Serial No. ebruary 25, 1916, and executed of even date herewith. These battery 23 and the frames 9 as I prefer electrically to connect all frames by means of the metallic conduit 6. whereby all the switch lades 12 are in.common each other.

it is desired tempora-rily to throw the switching apparatus out of service. Conductors 24 extend from the other side of the battery 23 tothe vari- .ary contacts carried by described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to without decnanges may readily be made spirit of my invention, but

parting from the havingthus described my invention I claim asnew and desire to secureby Letters Pat-- ent the following 1. Switching mechanism incl duit for electrical conductors nected therewith; mounting" rably connected with the conduit; stationthe frames 5 and con- .tacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental to the stationary contacts. I 2. Switching mechanism including a con duit'for electrical conductors that are connected therewith; mounting frames sparably connected with ary contacts carried by uding a canthat are conthe frames; and contacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental to the stationary contacts, the conduit'having formations for engaging the frames to prevent movement of the frames longitudinally of the conduit.

3. Switch" duit for electrical conductors that are connected therewith; mounting flames separably connected with the conduit; stationary contacts carried by the frames; contacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental to the stationary contacts; and securing means for separably securing the frames and conduit together.

4%. Switching mechanism duit for electrical nected therewith; bl

including a conconductors that are conmounting frames separay connected with the conduit; stationary contacts carried b the frames; contacts piv- 1y mounted upon the frames and comp cmental to the stationary contacts, the conduit having formations for engaging the frames to prevent movement of the frames longitudinally of the conduit; securing means for separably securing the frames and conduit together. a

5. Switching mechanism including a con duit for electrical conductors that are connected therewith; U shaped mounting frames separably connected with the conduit that is received between the sides of the U-shaped frames; carried by the frames; and contacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental tothe stationary contacts.

6 Switching mechanism including a conduit for electrical conductors that are connected therewith; U shaped mounting stationary contacts the conduit; stationand particuj a a t e precise details of construction shown as frames sepamg mechanism including a con- Illfl ried by the frames separably connected with the conduit that is received between the sides of the U- shaped frames; stationary contacts carried by the frames; and contacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental to the stationary contacts, the conduit having formations for engaging the frames to prevent movement of the frames longitudinally of the conduit.

7. Switching mechanism including a conduit for electrical conductors that are connected therewith; U shaped mounting frames separably connected with the conduit that is received between the sides of the U-shaped frames; stationary -contacts carried by the frames; contacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental to the stationary contacts; and securing means for separably securing the frames and conduit together.

8. Switching mechanism including a conduit for electrical conductors that are connected therewith; U shaped mounting frames separably connected with the conduit that is received between the sides of the U-shaped frames; stationary contacts carframes; contacts pivotally mounted upon the frames and complemental to the stationary contacts, the conduit hav- -my name this 17th day of February,

ing formations for engaging the frames to prevent movement of the frames longitudinally of the conduit; and securing means for separably securing the frames and conduit together.

9. A switch including a mounting; a stationary contact carried by the mounting; a second contact pivotally supported upon the mounting and complemental to the aforesaid contact, the second contact having a stem projecting upon one side of the pivot while the contact to which the stem belongs is disposed upon the other side of the pivot, the end of the stem remote from the contact connected therewith underlying the contacts and the mounting therefor and being of arc-shape; a key pivotally mounted near the stem and engaging the arc-shaped end thereof; and a spring for substantially maintaining engagement between the arc-shaped end of the stem and the key.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe A. D.,

FREDERICK 13. LITTLE.

. Witnesses:

G. L. CRAGG, Erna L. WHITE. 

